Semiconductor device fabrication is a process used to create integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices. The fabrication process is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer composed of a semiconducting material. Silicon is an example of a typical semiconductor material used in the fabrication process, however other types of semiconductor materials can be utilized.
One process frequently used in semiconductor device fabrication is wafer edge seal ring formation. This process forms a wafer edge seal ring structure on the wafer to reduce particulate contaminants during wafer processing of integrated circuits. A wafer edge seal ring can formed by delimiting the deposition of layers at the peripheral edges of wafers. Each layer is deposited and then essentially trimmed back from the edge of the wafer through a judicious use of mask and etching, and/or edge-bead rinsing (EBR), and is later sealed by wafer edge exposure (WEE). Thus, abnormal growth of layers is prevented from building up into protrusions at the edge of the wafer. These abnormal layers can later peel or break up to form particulate matter and fine dust.